Material handling apparatus



Oct 16, 1945. I R. F.HLAvATY 2,387,150

I MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATU? Filed sept. 26, 1940 4 sheetssheet 1 9% fai,

Oct. 16, 194.5. R. F. HLAvATY MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS I 'Filed sept. 26. 1940 4. Sheets-Sheet 2 l C 16, i945. R, Ff HLAVATY 2,387,150

MATERIAL HANDLNG -APPARATUS ot.16,1945.` R. F. ALAVA l.2,337,150

A MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 26, 1940 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented oci. 1s, 1945 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS miaou F. mamy, Cicero, m. Application September 26, 1940, Serial No. 358,463

' (ci. isi-163),

16 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus and rmethod oi' handling material. It has for .one object to provide means for forming a web and for lapping the web to form a batt. As illustrated herewith, the invention is, therefore, embodied in a lapper which is combined with means for 'forming the web-for example, about a cylinder-and-with means for removing the web from the cylinder. This latter means is generally known as a dofler. Another object is to provide a machine which occupies a relatively small space and which at the same time is of high capacity. Another object is to provide a machine in which a ninimum of parts and other mechanisms is use Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the speciiication and the claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein: f

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a lapper with parts shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the parts in ,a different position.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken at line 3 3 of Figure 2 on a somewhat enlarged scale. In all three' figures a oor apron isv shown. 'Ihe web, after having been. formed by the lapper. is deposited on the floor apron which is shown ln elevation in Figures 1 and 2 and in longitudinal section in Figure 3.

is shown in several different shapes. One or more cylinders 4 are used and, as shown,- the 'cylinder is mounted within the bin on suitable bearings and is suitably driven. The cylinder has inclined'teeth 5 as shown. As the cylinder is rotated, a web 6 is picked up from a body of material 1 within the bin. The web is removed from the cylinder by a doer plate ll which is carried upon one or more arms 9 fastened to a shaft I0. -Theshaft is caused to rock or vibrate and the doier blade removes the web from thecylinder and it is then picked up by other conveyors, as willb described shortly. The means for moving the shaft I0 are not shown in detail as they are well known in the art.` They may be partly enclosed within a housing II. in theA forms shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, several belt conveyors are used. One belt conveyor is stationary within the lapping assembly. It includes a belt I2 mounted upon rotary members I3 which are supported in bearings which are themselves supported upon the frame members 2 or otherwise. The belts may be fiat and relatively extended or they may include narrower belts and slats. The shaft upon which one of the rotary members I3 is secured may have a sprocket |34 by means of which it may be driven. A second fixed conveyor is the so-called floor conveyor I4. This is the conveyor upon which the I Figure .4 is an enlarged detail of the ironing rollers and their carryingv assembly looking in the direction of the broken arrow of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a horizontal longitudinal section taken at line 5--5 of Figure 2, illustrating, among material is lapped and ironed and which serves to carry it away to a point of deposit or further treatment.' As shown, the oor conveyor includes a ilat belt or apron which is mounted other features, the driving means for the ironingrollers.`

Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section oi' a modiiied form of lapper.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal vertical section of a further modied form oi.' lapper.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout the specification and the drawings) The mechanisms shown may be assembled wherever necessary. As shown, they are mounted on a iloor or base I. They might; however, be supported from above, if desired. 'I'he various parts may be carried upon vertical supports 2, 2. Such supports are shown in all of the figures. As shown in several of the f1gures ,and as ordinsrily used, the lapper'and associated parts are used in connection with'means for forming a web. Material, usually brous, may be put into about two rotary members I5, l5. One of these v members is provided with a sprocket I5a by means of which it is driven. Positioned upon frame members I6 are a plurality of additional.,

'rollers llf'As shown particularly in Figure 3, these rollers are mounted, so that they ordinarily contact and support the upper run of the belt I4.

For some purposes it is desirable to adjust the iloor apron or conveyor up and down with respect to the remainder 'of the conveying system. This is accomplished by screws I8 mounted in the supports 2. At the upperend of each screw is mounted a sprocket I9 and one member of each pair of screws is provided with a handle and crank 20. The sprockets I9 o! each pair engage a chain 2I and thus rotation of one handle rotates both screws of its pair and thus raises and lowers one end of the iloor apron assembly. By utilizing both screws the floor apron assembly may be raised or lowered -to adjust the door apron. 'I'he purpOSe of this adjustment will be described a bin 3 which may be of any desired shape and 55 below.

As shown -2 assegno discharge point and whatever its distance from the doiler, it is essential that the length of the path through which the web passes in moving from the doii'er to the discharge point shall remain constant. The arrangement of the moving conveyor, which is about to be described, is such as to accomplish that result.

The moving conveyor includes, therefore, va conveyor belt 22. At the end closest to the cylinder 4 and the dofler, the belt 22 passes about a roller or pulley 23 which ,rotates in a iixed bearing lofany desired type. The uppermost run of the belt 22 passes also about a roller or rotary member 24 which is mounted for rotation in a truck or dolly 25; The dolly is provided with pairs of wheels 26 which run in tracks'2'l supported by the frame members 2. The .belt 22 passes about the roller 24 and downwardly1 and passes thence to a roller 28 which rotates about a nxed pivot. It passes thence between two rollers 29 and 33, which are themselves mounted in a dolly 3|' provided with wheels 32 which run in tracks 33 carried by the frame members 2. This dolly carries also a pair of so-called ironing rollers 34 and 35. The web 3 passes through these ironing rollers when it is deposited upon the floor apron IB. The belt 22, after passing about the roller 29, returns and passes aboutl a roller 36 which rotates about a iixed pivot, and

the belt thence runs upwardly to pass about av and 3| `baci: and forth across their lrespective tracks 2T and 33.

In all of the forms of the invention means are provided for moving the point of discharge of the web upon the floor apron back and forth. These means will be described later.

They all have at least one feature in common; namely. that as the discharge point, which in each case is the pair of ironing rollers, lmoves back and forth substantially the full width of the floor apron, another point in the conveyor moves back and forth a distance approximately equal to one-half the distance traveled byl the floor apron. The purpose and effect of this is to establish and maintain at'all times a path for the web from the point at which it is removed from the cylinder to the point at which it is deposited on the door apron, which path remains of the same length; that is, no matter what the position of the ironing rollers; so that on the movement of the rollers to-the right no doublinghup or undesired accumulation of the web occurs.

The problem involved in moving the point of discharge includes not only the provision of a path of proper length through which the web movesbut also the maintenance of suitable tightness for the belt. In the form illustrated in Figures l to 5, inclusive, this is accomplished as follows: acable ||5'is secured to a nxed and adjustable support H3. -This cable extends about a sheave 24a and thence about the pulley IIB. A second cable H9 is secured to the opposite end of the dolly 3| as at |20. This cable extends about a pulley |2| which is xed on a shaft |22. It will be noticed that the rollerfSE is concentric with the shaft |22 but it' is free to rotate with respect to it since the roller bearings |23 are positioned between the shaft |22 and the roller 35. The roller 3B idles in response to movement of the belt 22 while the shaft |22 is driven, as will be described below. After passing about the pulley I2|, the cable I|9 is secured to the cable H5. Whereit has been stated that the members ||5 and ||9 are cables, it is to be understood that they may equally well be chains or other suitableexible driving means. The invention is not limited to the use ofy cables or ropes in this connection.

Fixed on the shaft 22 is a gear |24 which meshes with agear |25 on a shaft |26. This shaft has mourned on it a reversing pulley |27, which is loose on the shaft |25, and a central member |28 which is tight to the shaft. |29 is a driving belt. The roller 28 is driven from the conveyor belt 22; the member 28 or the shaft |3| upon vwhich it is ixed, carries a'sprocket |32 which by means of a chain |33 drives a sprocket |34 i'lxed to the righthand roller |3 as shown in Figures 1, 2' and 3, and thus the conveyor i2 is.

driven from the member 28 which is itself driven from the belt 22. The roller or pulley 23 is driven from any suitable source of power and by its rotation'this roller 23 drives the conveyor belt 22.

Means are provided for reversing the drive of the gear |24 to reverse the movement of the cable or chain I9 sothat the dolly 3| is moved back and forth. Any suitable reversing means may be used. It-may be responsive to the movement of the dolly and actuated by the dollyas it reaches the limit of its excursion or it may be electrically actuated by rotation of some part of the drive or otherwise. The details of the reversing mechanism are not an essential part of the present invention.

In the form of the device shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, an ironing means is provided. The purpose of vthis is to iron and to flatten or compact the batt upon the oor apron. It is for that reason that the oor apron is provided with the supporting rollers As shown generally throughout the drawings, the ironing mechanism is substantially the same. It comprises a dolly, as shown in the first three figures, which has conveying rollers 29 and 30 and ironing rollers 34 and 35. These latter are positively driven by a sprocket 38 carried on a suitable shaft 39 mounted in bearings in the ex..

tension 40 of the dolly 3|. The sprocket 38 meshes with a rack 4| which may be secured to any part of the frame but is here shown as supported from one of the tracks 33. Instead of a rack, a chain may be useds Any means for causing rotation of the member 38 is within the contemplation of the invention.

A gear or sprocket 42 is secured on the shaft 39 and meshes with gears or sprockets 43 and 44 which are, respectively, secured to the ironing rollers 34 and 35. Thus, rotation of ethe shaft 39 in response to movement of. the gear or and is Vsecin'efi to one end of the dollylSl as at 75 The distance between the ironing rollers $4 asa-1,150

-the Position which they assume when the dolly is moving to the left as indicated by the straight arrow. When that occurs, the web is in contact with the roller 29 and out of contact with the roller 99. It is in contact with the ironing roller 34 and out of contact with the ironing roller 351' and the ironing roller 34 is driven in the direction of the curved arrow shown on it. It thus serves to feed the web downwardly and to iron and press it against the iloor apron |4.

In the modiiled form of the invention shown in Figure 6, the frame members, the hopper, the cylinder. the -doiier and similar parts are substantially the same as described in connection with the earlier figures and need not be redescribed. In other respects, the position oi' the floor apron and the details o'f the lapper differ. fromthose described above. Thus, a oor apron 49 is connected on rollers 46 and supported in the frame members 2.' The floor apron is provided with supporting rollers similar to the rollers I1. Their showing has been omitted to avoid repetition. 'I'he lapper includes three separate but coordinated conveying assembles.

The rst includes the conveying belt 41 whichincludes rollers 48, 48 supported in a dolly 49. This dolly runs on a track 99 and may be supplied with wheels or runners. A cooperating conveyor includesthe belt 9|, supported on rollers 52 which are mounted in a dolly 53. This latteris arranged to move along a track 54 and may engage the track by wheels, runners or otherwise. At their one ends, the dollies 49 and 53 `are joined by a iiexible member 55 which passes over the pulley 96. At their opposite ends they are joined by a exible member 51 which passes over a pulley 99 mounted on a shaft 59 to which a sprocket or gear 69 is mounted. By-means 'of this the member 99 may be rotated.

A third conveyor includes a belt 6|. This belt passes about a roller `62 mounted on a dolly 63 which has wheels 64, 94. These wheels run in a track B9. Moving to the right from the roller 92, the Abelt 9| passes about a roller 69 which 1otates in a'xed axis and maybe driven by any suitable power means, as for example the drive which is shown in Figure 51, to drive the shaft |22, upon which the roller 36 is freely mounted. Any other suitable driving means might be used for rotating the roller 66 to cause the belt 6| be driven about it. From the roller es, the belt passes upwardly to a roller 61 which rotates about a xed axis. It moves thence about a In the form of the invention shown in Figure '1, the supporting means, hopper, cylinder and doifer may be like those shown in the previous iigures and need not be redescribed.

Mounted in the frames 2 is a floor apron 92 which rotates about rcllersk 93 and is carried by a shaft 94 upon which a gear or sprocket 96 is mounted and by means of which it may be driven. In this form of the invention, as in the previous forms, supporting rollers such as the rollers |1 of Figure 3 are preferably mounted under the floor apron. In all forms of the invention the adjustable means shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 for raising and lowering the floor apron maybe used, if desired. They have not been reillustrated or redescribed in connection with Figures y6 and 7 but may be embodied in those forms.

As the web 6 leaves the cylinder 4, having been removed by the doier, it passes to a conveyor belt 96. This belt, at one end, moves about a roller 91 which rotates on a ilxed axis. It moves thence about `a roller 89 rotating on a fixed axis and downward to a roller 99 vwhich is the centermost of three rollers mounted upon a dolly 99. The belt `It extends downwardly and about a roller 99 which is the outermost of the three rollers on the dolly 99. It extends upwardly about a roller |9| which rotates on'a fixed axis.

The dolly 94 corresponds generally to the dolly 9|, 49 shown in the rst iive figures. two feed rollers 93 and 92 and a pair of ironing rollers 99 and |99 which are similar to the ironing rollers 34 and 35 and are similarly driven. The ironing rollers are carried in an extension |9| of the dolly 94'.

The dolly 99 carries a second conveyor which includes a belt |92 vpositioned about two, rollers |93 and |94, also mounted on the dolly 99. The dolly may be provided with wheels |95 or other means for engaging a track |96 in which the dolly and lower the dolly 99 along the track |96. The

feed roller 68 which is mounted in a dolly 69.

'Ihis dolly also carries a second feed roller 19 and wheels 1|, 1| by means o f which it engages a track 12. 'I'he belt 9|, having passed about the roller 98, passesthence about two rollers 13 and 14 which rotate about fixed axes and thence returns to the roller 92. A cable 15 is secured at one end to the dolly 69, passes about a pulley 19,- about a pulley 11 and is secured at its other end to the douy ss. Fixed to the pulley 11 or toy the shaft which carries it is .a gear or sprocket 19 by means of which it may be rotated.

4The dolly 69 preferably has an extension 19 in I" details of this means are not shown as they form no essential part of the invention. It is sufcient merely that there be means for raising and lowering the dolly 99 at the right point in the cycle of operations of the lapper. c

. As a means for moving the about a pulley ||9 and a second pulley To may be driven by any desired means. The chain or member |99 is secured to the dolly 94 by an arm |3. Thus, the dolly is moved with the movement of the chain, and the drive for the chain is so arranged `that it reverses its direction and thus moves the dolly 94 back and forth from thelfull line position of Figure 7 to the dotted line position of that figure. The relationship of the two dollies 99 and 94 issuch that when the dolly 99 occupies the lower full line position of Figure 'I the dolly 94 occupies the righthand full line posi- 'tion of that figure; and when the dolly 99 israised to the dotted line position of Figure 7 adjacent one end of the track |96, the dolly 94 is It has ,the

dolly 94 back'and 1 forth a cable or chain '|99 is used. This passes moved to the dotted line position at the left of the track 95.

Although there is shown an operative form of the device, it will be understood that many changes in the form, shape and arrangement of parts might be made without departing from the spirit of this invention, and it is wished that the showing be taken as, in a sense, diagrammatic.

The use and operation of this invention are as follows In general, in machines of the type to which the mechanism of the present invention is applicable, some means are providedfor supplying material, usually fibrous, to a lapper. In the particular form here shown, the material is drawn out by a cylinder 4, is removed from it by a doiler 8 and passes to a lapper in the form of a web. This web is carried by the lapper to a floor apron, which is, in effect, the means for receiving successive layers oi webs to form a batt and for carrying the batt so formed away for further treatment or for packing or storage as desired.. There is added a. further operation which is carried out on the floor apron; namely, the use of ironing rollers which pass back and forth with the lapper and thus compress and roll and iron the batt" as itis formed. For this purpose therefis added a number of rollers I'I to give support to the iioor apron.

Since the lapper moves back and forth away from and toward the cylinder, it is clear that there would be an accumulation of web on the lapper in the return movement of the lapper unless means were provided to prevent it. If no such means were provided, the length oi the path oi the web from the cylinder to the point of disb charge on the floor apron would vary and an uncylinder 4. As shown in Figure 2, it is to the right, the minimum distance from the cylinder 4,

but the arrangement of the two dollies 25 and 3l and the provision of the additional conveyor I2 web moves on the upper run of the belt 22 about the roller 24 and then moves in the reverse direction along the conveyor I2, a movement of the dolly 25 of one foot away from the position of Figure 1 increases tbe length' of the path by ap. proximately two feet. However, since the web moves only along the top of that portion of the belt wl-ich feeds the web directly to the dolly 3i, a movement of the dolly 3i only increases or decreases the path through which the web must run by a distance equalY to the movementof that dolly, Thereforain view of the relationship of the dolly 25 to the dolly 3|, no matter what their relative position, a path of constant length and a constant supply of web at a constant speed is provided, and this with a minimum of mechanism.

The web, in moving from the roller 4, always movesv along the upper run of the belt. 22 .between the rollers 23 and 24. It is always deposited upon the conveyor I2 and is always deposited by that conveyor upon thequpper run or that portion of the belt 22 which moves to the dolly 3i. -It may, in the position oi' Figure l, move only over a very small portion of the conveyor I2 but, as shown in Figure 2, it may move over almost all of the entire surface of that conveyor.

Since thesmall or short conveyor I2 is driven by the alain |33 from the sprocket |32 on the roller or drurv. 28, it moves when the roller moves. 'There are times when this roller does not move, because'as the dolly 25 moves in one direction and the dolly 3| moves in the opposite direction, one dolly is in effect taking up slack as the other produces' slack. Thus the dolly 25 in its movement to the left, takes up the slack which is produced inthe conveyor belt 22 by movement oi' the dolly 3| to the right, and-during the time that the dolly 25 moves to the left there is nol 'rotation of the drum I3, and consequently no movement of the conveyor l2. Since the right hand drum I3 is driven from the drum 25, when l to the position of Figure 2, its movement is reversed and it starts back to the right. When this reverse movement has been accomplished, the dollies move from theA position of Figure 2 back to the position oi' Figure l, and during that movement the roller or drum 28 is operated by friction from the conveyor apron 22. and thus drives the member I3 and the conveyor l2 so that the portion of the web 8 which had been previously deposited on the conveyor l2 during the lefthand movement of the dolly 25 while the conv eyor I2 was stationary, is discharged downwardly from the conveyor I2 over the drum or roller I3. While this occurs additional quantities oi' the web are fed along the upper portion oi' the apron 22 to the top of the conveyor apron I2, so that the web is not broken and continues in a continuous stream and the speed oi movement of the conveyor I2 is more rapid than the speed oi movement of the apron 22, because the sprocket I32, which is rotated with the drum 28, by the apron 22, is larger than the sprocket I 34 of the drum I3, which drives the conveyor I 2, and thus a constant feed of web 6 from the dolly 3I occurs, whichever direction the dollies may be moving.

In general, the dolly 3i moves twice as far and twice as fast as the dolly 25, and the conveyor I2 serves as va. means for accumulating and redischarging suillcient web 8 so that no matter what the relative positions and speeds of the two dollies may be, the web is supplied to the lower dolly in uniform quantities and at uniform speeds. In a sense, therefore, the conveyor I2 acts as astorage or accumulating means-to acl cumulate web during the time when the relative movements and positions of the dollies would otherwise produceV an uneven or 'broken flow of web tothe lower dolly.

The speed with which the roller or drum 23 is driven mustbe such that when the dolly 25 moves to the left and the dolly 5I moves to the right, the slack lwhich the former takes up and to that o! Figure 2 the roller 23 isstationaryv and does not rotate and for that reason does not drive the storage conveyor l2. Thus the conveyor l2 is permitted to remain stationary during that part of the cycle of the machine in which the dolly 25 moves from the position oi' Figure 1 to the position of Figure 2. This is essential because otherwise the conveyor l2 could not act as a storage capacity. l

Where the expression "web is used, it is not limited to fibrous material, but is to be understood as meaning any sort of material upo which the machine acts.

In moving downward oor apron I4, the web contactsv only one of the rollers 23 or 30 and only one of the ironing rollers 34 or 35. When the dolly 3l moves to the left, as shown in Figure 4, the rollers 29 and 34 are contacted. When the dolly reverses its direction,

the roller 29 or 39 may be contacted but only the ironing roller 35 will be contacted.

Means for driving the ironing rollers are shown particularly in Figure 4. The gear 39 meshes with the rack 4I.' Instead of a gear, a, sprocket may be used, and it may mesh with the chain instead of the rack 4i; Its direction of rotation changes when the direction of movement oi! the dolly 3i is changed. When the dolly moves in' the direction shown in Figure 4, the ironing roller 43 is driven counterclockwise and thus helps to convey the web 6 and also to iron it. Upon reverse movement of the dolly 3|, the gear 38 reverses its direction of rotation, and the ironing roller 35 operates clockwise to convey and to iron the web 6.

In the modified form shown in Figure 6, the dollies 69 and 63 are fastened together and the two moving conveyors carried by the dollies 49 and 53 move up and down in coordination with the. reversal oi movement of the dollies 39;and 83. When the dolly 69 is in the fullrighthand position of Figure 6, the conveyors carried by the dollies 49 and 63 occupy a position where they give an increased length to the path of movementl of the web. When the dolly 69 is in the dotted line position of Figure 6, the dollies 49' and 53 are also in the dotted line positions of that figure from the dolly 3| to the sheets of material such as paper, cloth, metal foil and the like. Consequently, the invention is limited to the handling or treatment oi no particular material. The machine may be used sepa- V rately, as shown, or may be used with other machines. It might, ior example, be used with -a paper-making machine to take the paper as it comes from the machine and to lap it. It might be used in connection with a textile machine to take a strip or web of textile material to lap that.

I claim:

N1. In combination in a lapper; a main oonveyor, two dollies movably mounted in said lapper and engaging and moving with said conveyor, means for reciprocating said dollies, means for giving one of said dollies a travel one-half that of the other dolly, said dollies moving in directions opposite to each other, and a second xed conveyor mounted between the paths of movement of said dollies.

2. In combination in a lapper, a main con- I veyor, two dollies movably mounted in said lapper and engaging and moving with said' conveyor, means for reciprocating said dollies in co-relation with each other, means for giving one of said dollies a travel one-half that of the other dolly.l

. vsaid dollies moving in directions opposite to each other, and a second xed conveyor mounted between the paths of movement of said dollies.

and reduce the 1ength or the path through which the web travels in moving aboutthem, and this reduction corresponds to the increase in the length of path which theweb must travel in reaching the full leithand position shown in dotted lines in Figure 6.

The modied'form of Figure 7 accomplishes the same general result as that described above. The dolly 99 travels up and down. In the full line position, it is giving a maximum length to the path of the web because the dolly 94 is in the full righthand position. Whenthe doliy moves to the dotted line position at the left, it increases the length of the path of the web and, correspondingly, the dolly 99 is raised to the dotted `4line position, decreasing that portion of the path of the web which takes place around the dolly 99.

While brous material has been spoken of, it is to be understood that the machine'and method of the present application may be utilized in handling almost any sort of material, and they may be used in connection with other machines and they may be used on fibrous material, natural or artificial, or'on textile material or plastics or on composite material, metal foil, vegetable fibers. animal fibers and on almost an unlimited number otmaterials, or on mixtures or compositions of several materials. I'hey4 may be used in lapping 3. In combination in a lapper, va main con` veyor, two dollies movably mounted in said lapper and engaging and moving with said conveyor,

means for reciprocating said'dollies, means for;

giving one of said dollies a travel one-half that of the other dolly, said dollies moving in directions opposite to each other, and a second fixed conveyor mounted between the paths of movement of said dollies, and a batt-receiving member positioned below one of said dollies.

4. In combination in a lapper,l a main conveyor, two dollies movably mounted in said lapper and engaging and moving with said conveyor, means -for reciprocating said dollies, means for 'giving one of said dollies a travel one-half, that ofthe otherdolly, said dollies moving in directions opposite to each other, and a second iixed conveyor mounted between the paths of movement of said dollies, and a. batt-receiving and conveying member, means on one of said dollies comprising ironing rollers, said rollers adapted to compress the web upon said batt receiving and conveying member.

5. In combination in a lapper, a main conveyor. two dollies movably mounted in said lapper and engaging and moving with said conveyor, means for reciprocating said dollies, means for giving one of said dollies a travel one-half that of the other dolly, said dollies moving in directions oppo- A' site to each other, and a second iixed conveyor mounted between the paths of movement of said dollies, and a batt-receiving and conveying member, means on one of said dollies comprising ironing rollers, means for rotating them, said rollers adapted to compress the lweb upon said batt receiving and conveying member.

6. In combination in a lapper, a main conveyor. two dollies movably mounted in said lapper and engaging and moving with said conveyor, means for reciprocating said dollies in co-relation with each other, means for giving one of said dollies a travel, one-half that of the other dolly, said dollies moving always in directions opposite to each other, and a second fixed conveyor mounted between the paths of movements of said'dollies. and abatt-receiving and conveying member,

means on one of said dollies comprising ironing rollers, means for rotating them, said rollers adapted to compress the web upon saidbatt receiving and conveying member.

7. In combination in a lapper, a main conveyor, two dollies movably mountedin said `lapper and engaging and moving with said conveyor, means for reciprocating said dollies, means for giving one of said dolliesy a travel one-half that of the other dolly, said dollies moving in directions oppositeto each other, and a second fixed conveyor, and means for driving said iixed conveyor from said main conveyor, and a batt-receiving member positioned below one of said dollies.

8. In combination in a lapper, a main conveyor, two dollies movably mounted in said lapper and engaging and'moving with said conveyor, means .for reciprocating said dollies, means for giving one Vof said dollies a travel one-half that of the other dolly, saiddollies moving in directions opposite to each other, and a second fixed conveyor, and means for driving said fixed conveyor from said main conveyor, and a batt-receiving and convey- 4ing member, means on one of said dollies comprising ironing rollers( said rollers adapted to compress the web upon said batt-receiving and conveying member.

9.` In a lapping machine, means for forming a web, and means for forming a batt, said web forming means including at least two conveyors, one of said conveyors positioned to operate about fixed points of support, through an unchanging path, members dening a, fixed material receiving point upon another of said conveyors, and

members defining a movabledischarge point from said conveyor, and means for moving two parts of said conveyor in different directions, the path -of one of said parts being approximately onehalf as long as that of the other of said parts, said part moving meansv comprising means .for

. moving the discharge point from said conveyor back and forth, means for maintaining a path for said web along said conveyors, of substantially unvarying length from said receiving point to said discharge point, irrespectiveof the movement of the latter, said last-mentioned means including said rst mentioned conveyor.

10. In a lapping machine, means for forming a web, and means fororming a batt, said web forming means including a plurality of conveyors, members dening a fixed material receiving point upon one of said conveyors, and members defining a, movable discharge point from said conveyor, and means for moving two parts of said conveyor in different directions and at different speeds', the

path of one of said parts being approximately onehalf as long as that of the other of said parts, said part moving means comprising means for moving the discharge point from said conveyor back and forth, means for maintaining a path for said web along said conveyors, of substantially unvarying length from said receiving point to` said discharge point, irrespective of the movement of the latter, said last-mentioned means including another of said conveyors.

11. In a lapping machine, means for forming a web, and means for forming a batt, saidvwebb forming means including a plurality of conveyors, members deiining a nxed material receiving point upon one of said conveyorsand members deining a movable discharge point from' said conveyor, and means for moving two parts of said conveyor in diierent directions, the path of one of said parts being approximately one-half as long asthat of the other of said parts, said part movmovement of the latter, said last-mentioned ing means comprising means for moving the disand means for moving two parts of said conveyor' in dinerent directions, said moving means including two dollies movably mounted in said lapping machine, and means for reciprocating said `dollies, the path of one of said parts being approximately one-half as long as that of the other of said parts, said part moving means comprising means for moving the discharge point from said conveyor back and forth, means for maintaining a path for said web along said conveyors, of substantially unvarying length from said receiving point to said discharge point, irrespective of the means including the other of said conveyors.

13. In combination in a lapper, a `web forming means and a batt forming means, the batt forming means including a movable batt conveyor upon which the web is deposited in the formation of a batt, and web conveying means comprising two conveyors, means for moving one end of one of said web conveyors back and forth across the batt receiving conveyor along a gen-l erally horizontal path,'and means for maintaining and for moving the other of said web conveyors bodily at all times along a xed path at an angle to the horizontal.

14. In combination in a lapper, a, web forming I means and a batt forming means, the batt forming means including a movable batt conveyor upon which the web is deposited in the formation of a batt, and web conveying means comprising two conveyors, means formoving one end oi one of said web conveyors back and forth across Athe bat receiving conveyor along a generally horlf I zontal path, and means for maintaining and for moving the other of said web conveyors bodily at all times along a iixed path at an angle tothe horizontal, and means for maintaining a loop in said mst-mentioned conveyor, said other conveyor extending at all times into the loop in Said one conveyor. 15. In combination in a lapper, means for forming a web, and a batt conveyor adapted to receive said web, and means for conveying said web from said web forming. means to said batt conveyor and for depositing said web upon said batt conveyor. said web conveying means comprising a pair of web conveyors, means for'establishing a loop in one of said web conveyors, said means-inand means for moving said dolly back and forth across said batt conveyor in a generally horizontal path, a seconddol1ymeans for moving and maintaining said dolly alonga xed path-at an angle to the horizontal, means on said second dolly for maintaining a second loop in said one web conveyor, the other web conveyor extending into said second loopin said one web conveyor, the two web conveyors providing and maintaining' at all times a path from said web forming means to said batt conveyor of subl'stantially unvarying length. 

